Electric regulation system



May 26, l93l.' w, ocK E 1,807,190

ELECTRIC REGULATION SYSTEM Original Fiiled larch-3, 1928 current I I7 II /4/ q INVEN Torts Maw/Back Karl Fa Hz H TOH'NEY Patented May 26, 1931 I UNITED. S ATES wamnnn soon, or

PATENT OFFICE QIB-LIIT-STEGLITZ, AND KARL RATE, NEW YORK,

N. Y ABBIGNOBS TO 0. LO BENZ, A. 0., 01' BFBLIN-T MPELEOI', GERMANY ELECTRIC REGULATION SYSTEM I I Q Original application illed larch 8, 1988, flerial'lio. 281,095, and in Germany April 1, 1927. Divided and this application filed larch 21, 1930. Serial No. 437,901.

This application, which is a division of I up lication .Serial No. 261,095, filed March 3rd 1928 now PatentNumber 1,767,236, June 24, 1930, refers to an electrical regulator o rating according to the fast regulating or 1rrill principle. The main object of the inven tube control for a relay to secure a greater sensitivity of response of the vibration regulator to variations 'in the magnitude to be regulated. v

The invention is further described with 26 reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate as follows: a Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the operation of vibration regulator with reference to the duration of time periodsof 80 re ulating influence.

i ure 2 is a diagram of connections suitable or carrying out the object ,of our invention, for the purpose of controlling the output voltage of a generator.

Figure 3 is a similar arrangement to keep the frequency of an alternating current generator. constant. 1

The invention will be described with a short reference to the present art of regulation. Referring to the regulation of electrical current, for instance, the excitation current of an electrical machine for the purpose of keeping constant the pressure or the speed, or else for the purpose of synchronizing, there are fundamentally two distinct methods.

The first is [the so-called slow regulation which consists of an arrangement in which the, regulating mechanism begins to act only after a change has occurred in the magnitude to be influenced and regulated (that is, in this in connection with more definite regulation can only apply to small and slow chan s o themagnitude to be held constant, an fails ent1rely when it is a case of extreme recision, as, for instance, for speed regu ation of electrical machines for generation of high frequency current or for securing synchronous operation of several devices, or else when it is a. question of generating extremely constant voltages, such as formeasuring purposes.

For such uses the only method that need be practically considered is the other already well-known art of regulation, to which this present invention also refers, and which, therefore, may be called fast regulation, also known under the term of regulation according-to the Tirrill princi le: This method is already utilized for regu ation of voltages by the well-known Tirrill voltage regulator for electric generators, and lately also for kee ing constant the eed of the machine by t e so-called Schmidt s centrifugal contact regulator, as described in U. S. Patent No. 1,647,030. The principle of this regulating method consists in the fact that the permanent, that is also the normal condition, such as the correct value of the magnitude to be kept constant (pressure or speed) has a regulating influence periodically applied to and withdrawn from it, so that even with the ve inception of a change of the magnitude to be kept constant, the regulating action is fully exercised and the re ulating force is thereby iimlmediately release without any noticeable e av.

There is a further distinction of such a regulating method as against the above mentioned slow regulation, in which the main disadvantage, among other disadvantages, is the transient phenomena followin the changes in current This distinction is'that loo such transient phenomena disturbing the regulating procedure are practically excluded, especially the influence of the inductance of the windings such as excited windings. 5 This is made possible by using theiso-called over regulation; that is, thatthe regulating influence is made several times bigger than is necessary for producing the normal condition. At the same time this excessive regulating force cannot exercise its'full action, since it is forcibly applied and withdrawn during short intervals of time only. By this means the advantage is secured that the delay phenomena are practically entirely exhausted and an instaneous regulating influence is obtained.

The required forced periodic application and withdrawal of regulation have in the present-day arrangements been securedin a mechanical manner, such as by spring contact means. This is, for instance, the case in the above referred to Tirrill voltage regulator, in which a movable contact arm carrying a contact is closing and opening periodically with a corresponding fixed contact to a ply and withdraw the regulating influence. lso, in the speed regulator above referred to, a swinging device carrying the contacts is used in conjunction with a suitable opposite contact, for maintaining the speed, In this case I both contacts are forced to close and open at a rate determined by a periodically applied force superimposed on a constant force. Such mechanical arrangements, however, have been found insufficient whenever extreme accuracy is necessary; hence, the object of this invention is to determine the periodic application and withdrawal of regulating influence by electrical forces, rather than by mechanical.

The invention, therefore, consists, briefly, of a device in which a regulating current or voltage derived from the arrangement to be regulated determines, in an electrical manner, the relation of the regulating duration to the regulating suspension duration in a definite regulating period such as, for instance, the relation of opening and closing duration of a relay. 1 The subject of the invention is made clearer by several practical examples, as in the accompanying drawings, with afurt'her description of individual details. Similar notations in the drawings refer to similar elements.

an example, in a machine the 'ressure of which must be equal to or s nc ronous with another machine, there may included a resistance in the exciting winding and a suitable voltage applied to said. exciting winding (for instance, from a separate source of excitation, or with self-excitedvmachines from the armature terminals). When the circuit is closed, a current will increase according to curve a in the accompanying Fig 65 ure 1; that is, its final value will be reached only after a certain time, which is determined by the time constant of the circuit. If a value, dependent on the exciting current, such as terminal pressure or speed is to be changed by influencing the exciting current, then it is well known that the regulating action will not occur immediately at its 'full value, on account of the slowness of the increase in current, but only after a lapse of a definite time. Especially when it is a question of regulating large machines with con-, siderable inductance of its magnetizing winding, this delay may have relatiyely large value. We have to deal in this case, therefore, with the so-called slow regulation. If, however, a suitably chosenresistanceis-included in the circuit after a shortperiod oftime 23,; forinstance,byopeningthecontacts of a' shunt circuit, then the current would increase to a pointA and would decrease according to curve I), which is represented as an inverse of curve a. In this way a point B is reached in a short periodof time t At this instant the resistance is again short circuited by closing of the contacts; that is, it is excluded so that the current will again increase to point C, to be again reduced by a subsequent inclusion of the'resistance. With a definite relation between the opening and closing of the contacts; that is, the application and withdrawal 1 of regulating resistance, the current will. reach an intermediate value represented by the curve d. .The very short zigzag oscillations occurring actually around this value are practically of such a small magnitude that their action disappears entirely since it is applied only indirectly to the armature and through this again to the terminal potential or the speed. Up to the time interval which in the drawing is indicated as 25 it is assumed that the intervals of closing of contacts t are smaller than the intervals of opening the contacts t If now this relation of opening and closing intervals of the contactsand respectively of the application and withdrawal intervals of the regulating resistance are changed, in'such a way, for instance, that t is larger and t is smaller, then the average current d is automatically-increased to a higher average value. If later the relation of t to t is again reduced, as after the instant t as illustrated in the drawing, the current again drops. As can be seen, these changes in the average current take place very rapidly; that-is, after one or two openings or closing of contact, and this depends, as can readily be seen, on' the shape of the curves a and b; that is, on the proper dimensioning of the ,regulatin resistance. In the drawing the opening an closing intervals, t and t respectively, are illustrated for the purpose of survey for the same regu lating period 2. It represents, therefore, in this case a fast regulator which would operate on a vibration principle, and which is the more accurate the more often the change fromopening to closing takes place during a unit riodic opening and closing of regulating resistance takes lace by means of a relay, while the relation 0 opening and closing intervals which determine the degree of regulating ac tion is controlled in a purely electrical m'an ner by periodic charging and discharging of a condenser. The value of this relation is determined by the ma nitude to be held constant. Figure 2 a pies specifically to a voltage regulator. tem 1 represents a dynamo machine, which for simplicity is repre sented as a direct current machine with separate excitation. Item 2 is the magnet winding, 3 is the regulating resistance, and 4 is a separate source of energy for securing the constant exciting field. The machine supplies the network 5. A regulating resistance 6 is connected in the excitingcircuit of the machine and is-switched in and out periodically by means of a relay 7, in such a way that there is an average excitingcurren't corresponding to the re ation of openingand closing intervals of the relay 7 as described in connection with Figure 1. liy this means there is secured quite a definite terminal potential on the machine 1. Accordin to this invention, the control of opening an ,closmg intervals of rela 7 takes place as follows In'the grid circuit of a tube 8 there isa condenser 16, together with a suitable source 'of biasing potential 9. This condenser is connected at oneterminal to the resistance 10 which lies across the network tential and is thereby charged to a potential dependent on the terminabpotential of machine 1, which is'to be held constant. Since the internal resistance of a tube depends on the potential sistance determines the charging and discharging intervals of condenser '11. This latter is connected to the grid ofa second tube 13 in connection with a biasing potential 12. The biasing potential 12 is chosen in such a way that it counteracts the otential 14 re resenting the source of ano 0 current. Y e

series resistance 14 serves to set the charging interval'to a definite value.

Assume now that the contacts 15 of the relay 7 are closed. The condenser 11 is then charged by the battery 14; this eventually makes the potential on the grid of the tube gins to flow. If this is bi enough, the relay 7 is actuated and opens t 0 contact 15 since its winding lies in the anode circuit of the tube. 'Now the condenser 11 beginsto d1scharge and it will continue to discharge ing of t e condenser 11 and thereby the 0 en- I ing and closin of contact 15 is determined accordin to the value of the potential a plied to t e grid of tube 8; that is, indirect y.

according to the terminal potential of machine 1 to be kept constant, and their relation is correspondingly changed. If, for instance, the potential is high, then the resistance of tube 8 is low.) Therefore, the charging of the condenser 11 at the closing of the contact 15 takes place slowly, and discharging takes place rapidly, whereby the duratlon of the closing of contacts is relatively long and the duration of the o ening of the contacts is relatively short. f, on the other hand, the grid potential is low (that is, a terminal potential of the machine is reduced) then the resistance of the tube is higher, the charging takes lace relatively faster, the discharging ta es place relatively slower; in other words, the duration of closing of contact 15 I lating resistance 6 of the exciting circuit of the machine 1 with a similar relation of closing and opening. In the last example, where the machine potential wasreduced, 1t resulted in shortening of the closing duration and a corresponding lengthening of the opening 7 duration of the contact 15, and, therefore,also

the increase of the closing duration and respective shortening of the opening duration of c0ntact'17. This would be equivalent, as a glance at Figure 1 would show, to an increase in the avorage'exciting current d in the exciting circuit of the machine, as it is shown, for instance, in Figure 1 after the instant marked t The practically instantaneous increase'in the average value d of the exciting current of the machine without delay or slowness results in a'similar increase of the terminal-potential, so that the original potential is thereby maintained.

Figure 3. shows an analgous arrangement using the above described switching arrangemen't for regulation of the speed or for synchronizing of rotating machines or devices. As an example, Figure 3 refers to keeping accurately constant the speed of a high frequency machine 18, the excitation of 65 so highly positive that an anode current he which is omitted for the sake of clearness.

T he machine supplies an operatin circuit 19 (for instance, a wireless installat on). The machine is driven by means of a direct current shunt motor 20,.the-speed of which must be ke t extremely-, constant in order to maintain t e frequency of the highfrequency alternating source to as constant a value as possible, The driving motor 20 is fed from di-" rect current network 21. Its exciting windin is indicated by 22. Item 23 represents an ad iusting resistance in the exciting c1rcuit,, and 24 is a regulatin resistance corresponding to resistance 6 0 Figure 2.

Q The regulation takes place in such a way that the alternating current of machine frequency a and the alternating current from a constant fixed standard frequency a, are applied to coils 25' and 26 of a difierential transformer. The secondary coil 27 of this transformer'will thenhave a resulting current which depends on the relative phase difference of the two currents. This is' rectified'by means of a two-way double tube rectifying arrangement consisting of valve tubes 28 and 29 and is utilized from the terminals .of a resistance 30. The potential of resisto and v Since a, is standard and is supplied constant, this potential depends on the deviation of frequency o that is, the change in the speed of the high frequency machine 18, and respectively driving machine 20.

The potential existing on resistance 30 and corresponding to the definite speed operates now in exactly the same manner as was the case in Figure 2, 011 an arrangement for controlling a relay which opens and closes the regulating resistance 24 on the driving machine 20. The arrangement consists again of the two tubes 8 and 13, the relay 7 with contacts 15 and 17, grid condenser 16 and controlling condenser 11. Numeral 9 is again the grid biasing battery of the tube 8, and 12 the same for tube 13, while 14 is the anode current source and 14' an adjusting resistance.

If the machine runs the least amount too fast; that is, if the machine frequency a is by the least amount larger,'then the average superimposed currentin the secondary coil 27 would produce in the resistance 30 such a change in potential that with the currentsetting of the normal phasediiierence of the two' currents of frequency '0 and a as well as with the correct relative activation of contacts 15 and 17 of. relay 7, the resulting current in the motor exciting circuit would immediately assume a new value, which would bring back the original speed. In the exa-mpleillustrated; that is, Where the speed may have increased, the average exciting current is increased so that the tendency to increase all speed is suppressed at itsVery inception. If it is necessary to regulate the speed absolutely constant, as in the present example, then the controlling frequency 0.,

must be practically constant.

While we have shown and described our invention with particular reference to the showing of the drawings, it will be apparent that it is not so limitedand that it may be practiced in many ways and is subject to,

many modifications in the circuit arrangements and instrumentalities employed in carrying out the invention, without departing from the scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim to be secured by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1'.v In a vibration regulator for periodic influencing of a magnitude to be regulated, electrical means for determining the amount of regulation, comprisinga relay with contacts, means to periodically operate said con-' tacts for controlling the periodic influencing of said magnitude to be regulated, a condenser, means for charging and discharging said condenser for controlling the ratio of closing to opening period of said relay and further means, dependent on the magnitude to be regulated, to determine the rate of the charging and discharging of said condenser.

2. In a vibration, regulator for periodic'infiuencing of a. magnitude to be regulated,

, electrical means for determining'the amount of regulation,'comprising a device for periodically imposing on and withdrawing a regulating force from the magnitude to be regulated, an electric condenser associated with said device, means for charging and discharging said condenser for controlling the ratio of imposing period to withdrawing period of said regulating force and further means, dependent on the magnitude to be regulated, to determine the rate of the charging and discharging of said condenser. 3. In a vibration regulator for periodic influencing of a magnitude to be regulated, electrical means for determining the amount of regulation, comprising an electric circuit carrying a current adapted to influence said magnitude, a device included in said circuit for alternately imposing on and withdrawing drawing periods and further means, dependent on the magnitude to be regulated, to determine the rate of the charging and discharging of said condenser.

4. In a vibration regulator for periodic influencing of a magnitude to be regulated, electrical means for determining the amount of regulation, comprising an electric circuit carrying a current adapted to influence said magnitude, a relay with contacts, means for periodically opening and closin -said contacts for imposing on-and with rawing an "additional. current variation from said cirfirst means for a cuit, a condenser means associated with said lternately charging and discharging said condenser for controlling the ratio of closing period to openingperiod of 'said relay contacts and further means, de-

and means to apply an electric bias on said control electrode, in accordance with variations of the magnitude to be regulated for changing the impedance between said main electrodes for determining the discharge period of said condenser.

6. In a vibration regulator, a space discharge tube, means for securing a voltage, dependent on the ma nitude to be regulated, a source of separate biasing voltage for said discharge tube, connections for applying said two voltages in combination to control said discharge tube, a condenser connected to the output'gcircuit of said tube, a source of voltage for said output circuit, a second vacuum tube, connections from saidcondenserto the input circuit of said second vacuum tube, a relay operated by the output circuit of said second vacuum tube, contacts for said relay to apply said source of Voltage togsaid condenser, whereby said relay opens and closes periodically, further contacts of said relay, an electrical circuit carrying a current adapted to influence said magnitude to be regulated and means to alternately impose on and withdraw an additional current variation from said circuit, in accordance with the operationof said further relay contacts.

7. In a speed regulatin system for keeping constant the number 0 revolutions of the rotating device, comprising an electrical circuit ofsaid device,carrying a current adapted to influence the speed of rotation, a relay selfinterrupter including a condenser for determining the ratio of opening to closin periods of said relay, in accordance wit its 8. Ina speed regulating m for a retating body, as described in c aim 7, in which said rela interru ter com rises a output circuit of said space charge tube, further contacts of said relay, the input circuit of said space charge tube being connected inparallel to the output. circuit of said first space. charge tube and to said condenser, a common source of volta e for suppl the output of both of said 'schar tu said source of volta being direct y connected to said second discharge tube-and being connected to said first dischar e tube across said further contacts of said re ay and a negative biasing voltage for the input electrode of said second vacuum tube.

9'. Means for re latin a rotating-device, as to constancy of its spee of rotation and its phase in respect to position in space, comprismg in combination an electric circuit of said device carrying a current adapted to influence the speed of rotation, a resistor included in said circuit, means to produce an alternating we charge tu said re ay being included in the current having a frequency dependent on the W speed of rotation of said device and having a distinct phase relationshi in respect thereto, means to supply a controlling alternating current having a fre uency and phase corresponding to norma operating conditions of saiddevice, further means to superimpose both of said alternating currents and to derive a resultant current variation, dependent on deviations of phase of said first alternating current in respect to said second alternating current, a relay self-interrupter including a condenser determining the ratio of o nmg to closing periods. in accordance w1th its charging and discharging, a three-element vacuum tube associated with said relay interrupter for ofiering varyin impedance for determining the charging an discharging of said condenser, means to apply a biasing volta e to the control electrode of said vacuum tu in accordance with said resultant current variations, for producing corresponding changes of im dance of said vacuum tube, a resistor inclu ed in said electric circuitand contacts of said relay connected to said resistor.

10, Means for regulating a rotating body, as described in claim 9, in which said relay interrupter comprises a vacuum tube, said relay being included in the output circuit of said vacuum tube, further contacts of said relay, the input circuit of said vacuum tube being connected in parallel to the output circuit of said first vacuumtube and to said condenser, a common source of voltage for supplying the output of both of said vacuum tubes, said source of voltage being directly connected to said second discharge tube and being connected to'said first discharge tube across said further contacts of saidrelay and a negative biasing. voltage for the input electrode of said second vacuum tube..

o 11. Means for influencing an electric current adapted to determine a magnitude to be regulated, comprising incombination a selfinterrupting device, alternately imposing on and withdrawing additional variation from said current, a'condenser associated with said interrupter to determine the closing and interruptingperiods in accordance with its charging and discharging a variable impedance device providing a discharge path for said condenser and means to vary the impedance of said last device in accordance withvariations of the magnitude to be regulated. 12. A means for translating electric current variations, a first circuit, a means to derive a voltage varying in accordance with current variations in said first circuit, a second circuit, a means to periodically impose on and withdraw addtional current variation from said second circuit, a condenser associated with said last means for determining the ratio of said imposing to withdrawing periods in accordance with its alternating charging and discharging, a variable impedance device included in the discharge path of said con-' denser, and further means to vary the impedance of said device ,in acco dance with said voltage derived from said first circuit.

13'. A means for translating electriccurrent variations, a first circuit, means to derive a voltage varying in accordance with current v variations in said circuit, a second circuit carrying an electric current to be influenced in accordance with valuations of -sa1d first current, a resistor included in said second cir cuit, a relay interrupter having contacts connected to said resistor for periodically imposing on and "withdrawing additional current variation from said secondcircuit, a condenser associated with said relay interrupter .for determining the ratio of interrupting to opening periods of said contacts in accord.

ance with the charging and discharging of said condenser, a vacuum tube having main electrodes and a control electrode, the path between said main electrodes being included in the discharge circuit of. said condenser, and

further means for varying the bias of said controlelectrode in accordance with said voltage derived from said first circuit to accordin 1y change the impedance of said vacuum tu e.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures. v

' I WALTHER BOOK;

KARL RATH.. 

